Chiu Chow Sauce (Chinese Chilli-garlic Sauce) is a traditional Chinese recipe for a classic chilli and garlic hot sauced fried in oil and finished with vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Chinese version of: Chinese Chilli-garlic Sauce (Chiu Chow Sauce).
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Chiu chow sauce (潮州辣椒油)) or chao zhou sauce, is a chilli sauce (with lots of garlic) that can serve as a condiment to your favourite rice and noodle dishes, like Yangzhou Fried Rice, Vegetable Lo Mein, and Beef Chow Fun. It's also great as a dipping sauce for snacks like Egg Rolls and Potstickers. It's also great as a condiment for eggs (fried, coddled, scrambled, omelette tec). You can also use this in any recipes that call for Chinese chilli sauce (or Chinese hot sauce), such as Mapo Tofu or hoisin sauce. In this recipe, Chao Tian Jiao is the famous Chinese 'Facing Heaven' chilli, a type of upward facing cone pepper, medium-hot chilli within 'conoides group' of the Capsicum annuum species. They are generally available in Asian supermarkets, but if you absolutely can't get them substitute red Thai birds' eye chillies.
Ingredients:
15 ripe red jalapeño chillies (or substitute Thai bird's eye chilies or a blend) (thinly sliced)
4 Chao Tian Jiao chillies
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 whole heads of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
300ml neutral oil (like vegetable or rapeseed)
4 tbsp Sichuan chilli flakes
1 tsp vinegar
½ tsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
Method:
Slice the fresh chillies thinly. Place into a mortar along with 2 teaspoons salt. Grind and mix thoroughly with the pestle — note that you don’t need to form a paste, just break down the peppers slightly. Once done, scrape into a bowl then set aside as you prepare the remainder of the ingredients.
Mince the garlic (easiest done in a garlic press [a food processor also works well]).
Heat 120ml of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, stirring into the oil and frying gently until the garlic turns golden colour. The goal is to cook off all the excess moisture and allow the garlic to soak up the oil—like a confit. Don't over-fry the garlic, it should NOT become crisp or fry intensely at all. If it's cooking too briskly, it may need to reduce the heat to medium-low/low.
When the garlic is ready (about 30 minutes later, give or take 10 minutes depending on how cautious you’re being), add the pounded chilies. Stir to combine and let the ingredients fry gently for another 5-10 minutes, again watching closely so as not to burn the oil and spices.
Next, add in the remaining oil, stirring to combine and letting it heat through. Note that too much oil early on in the process makes it more difficult to evenly fry the garlic and chillies, hence the gradual approach.
Now stir in the chilli flakes, vinegar and sugar. Finish with 2 tbsp of soy sauce, and you’ve got a delicious pan of homemade chiu chow oil.
Set aside to cool and whilst still warm transfer the ingredients from the pan to a clean and sterilized jar. Secure with an air-tight fit and store in your refrigerator.
It will keep in the coldest part of the refrigerator (e.g., in the way back) for a good 2-3 months. As always, with oil-based sauces use a clean spoon or chopsticks whenever your dip into the sauce.
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